In the north on Monday, a demonstration against a governor, meanwhile, left at least seven dead and 31 injured after gunfire broke out between police and protesters, while a suicide bomber targeted foreigners in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, killing two Afghan civilians and wounding two others, officials said.

TOKYO

Official in scandal commits suicide

A scandal-tainted Cabinet member who headed Japan's powerful agriculture ministry hanged himself just hours before he was to face questioning Monday over allegations of bookkeeping fraud.

Local media reports said Toshikatsu Matsuoka, 62, hanged himself and left suicide notes including ones addressed to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the public, apologizing for his actions.

Police refused to confirm such details.

QUEBEC

U.S. students hurt when bus overturns

A bus filled with students from Rhode Island and Massachusetts overturned into a ditch south of Quebec City, and 14 of those on board were injured, police said.

Ann Mathieu, a police spokeswoman, said 39 students and five chaperones were on the bus Sunday evening when the driver apparently lost control and veered into a ditch. She said 12 students and two adults were taken to the hospital, but none of the injuries was life-threatening.

MOSCOW

Russia calls meeting on arms treaty

Russia on Monday called for an emergency conference on a Soviet-era arms treaty that has been a source of friction between Moscow and the NATO alliance.

The call follows a statement from President Vladimir Putin in which he declared a moratorium on observing Russia's obligations under the treaty.

The treaty, which limits the number of aircraft, tanks and other non-nuclear heavy weapons around Europe, was signed in 1990 and amended in 1999 to reflect changes since the Soviet breakup. Russia has ratified the amended version, but the United States and other NATO members have refused to do so until Moscow withdraws troops from the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia.

KATMANDU, NEPAL

Team cleans trash off Mount Everest

A Japanese mountaineer and his team have brought 1,100 pounds of garbage down from Mount Everest in his latest campaign to clean the world's highest mountain. It was the fifth trip by Ken Noguchi, who began his campaign in 2000.

Noguchi says he has collected an estimated 19,800 pounds of garbage over the course of his five trips.